Leadership and Horses

By Don Jessop

Do you want to learn what the "masters" know about training?  There are little things that only the elite horsewoman and men around the world do that give them an edge in training and this book will give you those tools.

 

This book will give you everything you need to work intelligently with your equine partner right from the start and even before you start regardless of the discipline you choose.

 

What does it take to be a leader for your horse?  How do you build confidence and trust?

How can you develop balance and athleticism for your equine partner?

 

These questions are answered in detail throughout this book with dozens of training formulas and strategies for success.

 

The goal of this book is to help you develop a confident, smart horse while learning what it takes to be a real leader.

 

Buy Leadership and Horses for clear and logical steps you can take immediately to improve your relationship with your horse today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Don Jessop
• Release date: Mar 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9780982730522

Book preview

LEADERSHIP

AND

HORSES

DON JESSOP – Mastery Horsemanship

WWW.MASTERYHORSEMANSHIP.COM

Editors: Allison Jessop and MJ Schwader

Interior Design and Layout: Rachel Jessop

Copyright © 2017 by Don Jessop

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher or copyright holder, except for a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other, without written permission from the publisher or copyright holder.

ISBN-13: 978-0-9827305-2-2

ISBN-10: 0982730527

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017906983

Dedication

I dedicate this book to Legacy.

The memory of your patient and willing spirit burns deep inside me.

Acknowledgments

My wife Rachel, for your inspirational horse mastery skills and never-ending love and support.

My daughter Shona, for your sweet, genuine, curious nature, and willingness to try anything.

My lifelong friend Joe, for your brotherhood in all my life decisions.

Ingela and Richard for their friendship and wisdom and encouragement over the years. (Ingela is a master with horses and she is featured many times throughout this book and has contributed many great photos to support us.)

Christina Hirst, for her friendship, authenticity, and fantastic photos.

My precious Legacy, who’s touched the lives of countless people and remains in the caring hands of two great friends, Lisa and Jess.

And ALL the horses around the world who have taught me the truth of your experiences in my human hands.

My siblings and parents, for your free form encouragement, generosity, and kindness. Special thanks to my brother Ben for bringing horses into my life.

Pat and Linda Parelli, for their undying love to educate horse people.

John Lyons, Monty Roberts, Ray Hunt, Walter Zettle, Tom Dorrance, Buck Brannaman, Mikey and Wally, Rob, Mel, Steve, Andy, Ronnie, Aimee, Karen, Honza, Kaffa, Alan, Neil, Stephanie, Carmen, Reid, and all the other horsemen and women who have influenced my career in personal and positive ways.

Photo credit goes to:

Christina Hirst

Ingela Larsson Smith

The Brazil Horses for Orphans Team

Coco Baptist

Matt & Jen DeLong

Carrie Maier

Mandy Mcarthur

Sonja Rasche

Rebecca Harris

Anwar Sher

Claire Spelling

& of course, all of the fabulous horse talent...

Acknowledgments - Horses for Orphans

My good friends Ingela and Richard Larsson Smith travel the world sharing the love of God through the experience of horses and leadership training courses with orphans. Their vision is one I fully support, and a percentage of proceeds from each book will be donated to help them continue their work.

Special Note: Many of the young adults Ingela and Richard work with through the Horses for Orphan’s projects are featured in this book. You’ll notice they aren’t wearing helmets or boots, but remain fearless in their learning and safe with a master by their side. They have the heart and desire to accomplish beautiful things.

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Learn more at www.horsesfororphans.com

Table of Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Table of Contents

Important Safety Note and Disclaimer

Important Note about Training Techniques

Introduction

Principle #1: The Leader Serves

Principle #2: You Get What You Allow

Principle #3: You Are Always Training

Even When You’re Not Training

Principle #4: A Leader Makes No Assumptions Moment by Moment Even After Something is Learned

Typical Assumptions People Make

Principle #5: True Understanding is Learned

Through Practice and Repetition

Principle #6: A Leader Makes Training a Positive Experience

Principle #7: Leaders Must Understand Why Things Fail

Principle #9: The Leader Enriches the Horse’s Life

Establishing Clear Boundaries

The First Boundary Setup: BACKUP

The Second Boundary Setup: FORWARD

The Third Boundary Setup: SIDE TO SIDE

The Fourth Boundary Setup: STOPPING

Establishing a True Bond

Bravery - Understanding and Training Confidence

Understanding Confidence

Special Note – How to test for total relaxation

Side note:

The Challenge of Teaching Confidence

Three Stimuli that Affect a Horse

Tactile stimulus

Auditory Stimulus

Visual Stimulus

Special Note

Last Note on What is Confidence?

Seven Confidence-Building strategies

Strategy Number 1: Reset Boundaries

and Realign the Horse

Strategy Number 2: Approach and Retreat

Strategy Number 3: Move Closer, Stay Longer

Strategy Number 5: Flash Training

Strategy Number 6: Allow and encourage Curiosity

Strategy Number 7: Combinations

Using Your Intuition and Reading Your Horse

Confidence Building Goal 1: Standing Still

Confidence Building Goal 2: Confidence in Motion

Confidence Building Goal 3:

Obstacle Training and Threshold Crossing

Basic to Advanced Skill DEVELOPMENT CREATING Balance and Athleticism

List of things horses are typically afraid of

Can’t catch your horse

Can’t get your horse to respond to boundaries

Thinking the horse is dominant instead of fearful

Thinking the horse is relaxed and inadvertently quitting too soon

Thinking the horse is ready and continuing

(getting explosive behavior)

Thinking the horse is afraid, when he’s simply distracted

Thinking the horse is being obstinate when he’s just reacting to pressure

Try to give your horse the benefit of the doubt and express patience rather than frustration.

Misreading the energy:

Thinking the horse is relaxed when she/he’s still tight

Allowing the horse to flee and injure himself

Misreading the priorities boundaries first

Misreading the distraction/concentration level

Misreading the fear Energy level

Getting frustrated (know your timelines)

Expressing the wrong energy toward your horse

Moving too fast or too much PRESSURE (over facing)

Misreading the environmental controls:

footing, other people, etc.

Mistiming the window of opportunity

Misjudging your own skill

Releasing too soon

Creating a dull horse

Safety

Tip 1: Face the problem

Tip 2: Try to contain the problem

Tip 3: Move in arching lines instead of straight lines

Tip 4: Get off

Tip 5: Get help

Important Safety Note and Disclaimer

Horses, even small ones, outweigh most humans. They’re faster, stronger, and in some cases, more reactive. As a result, people can and do get hurt and even die working with horses. Horses can also get hurt and die during human interactions. The information in this book won’t ever change that fact. The contents here can merely guide your mind to think differently and to see horses and leadership from a new perspective.  With time, practice, and professional support you will become better at reading horse behavior and preparing for more successful encounters. However, because safety is a priority, wearing safety gear such as a helmet and boots while interacting with horses is highly recommend.  Always keep safety in mind as you venture out into the pasture to be with horses.

The content, authors, editors, and publishers of this book do not claim any responsibility for your personal safety with horses. You alone can do that.

Prepare well and stay out of danger. The techniques introduced throughout this book may help you prepare mentally, but cannot keep you from danger. You must seek the support from qualified professionals if you feel inadequate in any way around horses.

Important Note about Training Techniques

In my 20 years of teaching, training, and consulting in the horse industry, one thing has always stood out to me: people tend to make rules about how things have to be done. People buy into techniques and programs. Don’t make the assumption that there is only one way to do things. Keep an open mind as you read and don’t turn techniques into rules! Keep your focus on principles instead. Follow the programs. Use the techniques you’ve been given, but stay alerted to other techniques. A good leader is always open to learning. A follower closes all other doors and does what the leader says. When it comes to horsemanship, you want to be a good leader, not a follower!

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Introduction

Horses have been an integral part of human lives for as long as we can record. In the beginning, horses were more than likely used primarily as a source of food for hunters. As time passed, the value of the horse changed and hunters began to see how they could be used for farming or transportation. Warriors also saw their value for speed, strength, and endurance on, to, and from the battlefield. And then came industry: roads, canals, logging, construction, etc. Horses have been a form of status and power, providing the people who were fortunate the ability to do and create more than ever before. But the focus and value of the horse has changed once again. Now, the horse is used primarily for recreation and entertainment. There are a few cultures remaining that rely heavily on horses for industry, and some cultures even rely on them for food; but most merely want horses for the feeling they give us – for the value of entertainment.

Because of this most recent change in value, humans interacting fairly with animals is paramount. Fairness was always important, but now it has become critical. With horses, we’ve always had a special responsibility to provide their basic survival needs: water, food, and shelter in exchange for their labor. Under close examination, however, providing those needs alone does not help a horse thrive, especially because we don’t provide them with a sense of industry and purpose any more. That being said... we, the horse owners, must become better leaders. We must learn to provide the horse with meaningful interaction and avoid slave-like ownership. Without a clear purpose and positive stimuli, horses lose track of leadership and can become complacent or even dangerous. The principle is this: any captive held against his or her will must be compensated with positive and productive interaction, otherwise be at risk of going completely insane.

The purpose of this book is to teach horse trainers, riders, and owners to become better leaders, so that he or she